“I don’t see one chance in twenty of your succeeding,” said he.
“And if I stay what are the chances for us all?”
“Possibly one in a hundred.”
“There is hope, if you can reach the bush, but the rub will be to do that.”
“They grow close to the house, and the 29Comanches will not be looking for any attempt of that kind.”
“Is it not best to wait until later?” asked Mrs. Shirril.
“No,” was the sensible response of her nephew; “the prospect4 of success will decrease with every passing minute. They will think, and with reason, that we have repelled5 their first attack so sharply that we are confident of beating them off altogether. After a time, when things begin to look bad for us, they will look for something of that nature, and be so well prepared for it that it will be hopeless.”
“He is right,” assented6 the captain. “I don’t ask you to try it, Avon, but, if you are determined7 to do so, now is the time.”
“My sentiments exactly, and I’m going.”
He dreaded8 anything in the nature of a scene, one reason for his moving so promptly9 being his desire to avert10 such a trial.
But now that the momentous11 step was decided12 upon, the all-important question remained as to the best means of making the start.
30
The whole interior of the lower story was so brightly illuminated13 by the blaze on the hearth14 that the moment the door was opened, even for only a few inches, it would show from the outside. Anxious as Avon was to be off, he knew better than to start under such conditions.
“The sooner that fire goes out, the better for all of us,” said the captain; “it is too tempting15 to the scamps.”
On the row of pegs16 near him hung several heavy blankets, such as are used by all plainsmen and cowboys. Those which the captain and his nephew meant to take on their journey northward17 were in camp five miles away.
Setting down his gun, he lifted one of the heavy pieces of cloth, whose texture18, like the celebrated19 blankets of the Navajoe Indians, was almost close enough to be waterproof20. He paused for a minute to adjust the folds, and then, forgetful of the danger he had run a short time before, he stepped hastily across the room, and stooping down flung the blanket over the blaze so as to enclose it entirely21.
31
The effect was instantaneous. The room was wrapped in darkness as dense22 as that outside, though the consequences of the act promised to be anything but pleasant in the course of a few minutes.
“Now, Avon, is your time!” called the captain in an undertone.
“I’m off; good-by,” came from the gloom near the door, where the sounds showed that he was engaged in raising the ponderous23 bar from its sockets24.
Captain Shirril stepped hurriedly to the spot, and found the door closed but unfastened. Even in his haste the youth did not forget to shut it behind him, leaving to his friends the duty of securing it in place.
“He is gone; God be with him!” he whispered to his wife and servant, who with painfully throbbing25 hearts had stepped to his side.
While speaking, he refastened the structure, and in less time than it has taken to tell it everything inside was as before, with the exception that where there had been four persons, there were now only three.
All forgot their own danger for the moment 32in their anxiety for the youth, who had so eagerly risked his own life to save them from death.
Bending his head, the captain held his ear against the tiny opening through which the latchkey had been drawn26 earlier in the evening, when the heavy bar was put in place. The Texan was listening with all the intentness possible.
“It seems impossible that he should get away,” was his thought, “and yet the very boldness of his plan may give it success.”
The shot from within the cabin, followed so soon by the complete darkening of the interior, must have caused some confusion among the Comanches, for otherwise Avon would have been shot or captured the moment he stepped outside of the cabin.
For the space of two or three seconds Captain Shirril absolutely heard nothing, except the soft sighing of the night wind among the mesquite bushes near at hand. The stillness could not have been more profound had every living thing been moved to a distance of a hundred miles.
33
He had listened only a minute or two, however, when he heard a warrior27 run rapidly around the building, coming to an abrupt28 stop directly in front of the door. Thus he and the Texan stood within a few inches of each other, separated only by the heavy structure, which, for the time, barred all entrance.
Captain Shirril even fancied that the eye of the redskin was pressed against the opening, in the vain effort to gain sight of the interior. Had the Comanche chosen to place his lips there, how readily he could have whispered into the ear of his enemy!
That the Texan was right in suspecting one of the warriors29 was so very near was proven a moment later, when a second Indian approached with his mustang on the walk, dropped lightly to the ground, and coming forward, halted so close to the door that he almost touched it.
The captain knew this because he heard the two talking in low tones. He understood the tongue of the dusky miscreants30, but though he listened closely, could not catch the meaning of a word that passed between them. 34Their sentences were of the short, jerky character common to all American Indians, accompanied by a peculiar31 grunting32, which helped to obscure their meaning.
The unspeakable relief of the listener was caused by the awakening33 of hope for his nephew. He was certainly some way from the cabin, for had he stayed near the door, discovery was inevitable34 by the two warriors now standing35 there. Indeed, they must almost have stumbled over him.
But he might be still within a few paces, unable to stir through fear of detection. Extended flat on the ground, on the alert for the first possible opening, he was liable to discovery at every moment.
In fact, so far as Avon was concerned, he had crossed the Rubicon; for, if seen, it was impossible to re-enter the cabin, the door of which had been shut and barred.
The warriors who had paused in front of Captain Shirril kept their places but a brief while, when they moved off so silently that he could not tell the direction they took. Everything remained still for several minutes, when 35the listener once more fancied he heard something unusual.
It was a stir among the mesquite bushes, such as might be caused by a puff36 or eddy37 in the wind, which blew quite steadily38, though with moderate force.
He was listening with all his senses strung to the highest point, when the stillness was broken by the report of a rifle, accompanied by a ringing shriek39, both coming from a point within a few rods of the cabin. The hearts of the inmates40 stood still, the wife alone finding voice to exclaim in horrified41 tones:
“Poor Avon! he has fallen! he has given his life for us!”
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1
speculations
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| n.投机买卖( speculation的名词复数 )；思考；投机活动；推断 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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3
kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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5
repelled
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| v.击退( repel的过去式和过去分词 )；使厌恶；排斥；推开 | |
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6
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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8
dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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9
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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10
avert
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| v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等) | |
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11
momentous
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| adj.重要的，重大的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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13
illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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14
hearth
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| n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面 | |
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tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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16
pegs
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| n.衣夹( peg的名词复数 )；挂钉；系帐篷的桩；弦钮v.用夹子或钉子固定( peg的第三人称单数 )；使固定在某水平 | |
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17
northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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18
texture
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| n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理 | |
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19
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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waterproof
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| n.防水材料；adj.防水的；v.使...能防水 | |
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21
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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22
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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23
ponderous
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| adj.沉重的，笨重的，(文章)冗长的 | |
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24
sockets
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| n.套接字，使应用程序能够读写与收发通讯协定(protocol)与资料的程序( Socket的名词复数 )；孔( socket的名词复数 )；（电器上的）插口；托座；凹穴 | |
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throbbing
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| a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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26
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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27
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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28
abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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29
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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30
miscreants
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| n.恶棍，歹徒( miscreant的名词复数 ) | |
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31
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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32
grunting
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| 咕哝的，呼噜的 | |
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33
awakening
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| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
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34
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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35
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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36
puff
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| n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气 | |
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37
eddy
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| n.漩涡，涡流 | |
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38
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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39
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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40
inmates
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| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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41
horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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